TOURIST WORLDS: TOURIST ADVERTISING, RITUAL, AND AMERICAN CULTURE

Previous work on tourist advertising typically explains promotional imagery in terms of the economic interests of advertising or the social psychology of consumption. The symbolism and meaning of such material can also be interpreted through a cultural analysis of tourism as a secular ritual. If tourism is conceptualized as a social ritual that renews meaning and person through a structured, periodic break from everyday life, then tourist advertising becomes the cultural text that symbolically transforms ordinary places and times into extraordinary tourist worlds. In contemporary American culture, tourist advertising accomplishes this task by presenting tourist worlds as places of plentitude, nature, leisure, history, and paradise, thus transcending the earnest reality of urban, everyday life. This symbolic presentation is documented through a qualitative and quantitative analysis of verbal and visual imagery in the promotional literature of the 50 states.     

Media Impact on Biased Perceptual Processing of Threat-Relevant Imagery Among Patients Who Recovered Memory of Childhood Sexual Abuse Prior to the Onset of Treatment

ABSTRACT

Several recent studies have indicated that patients who report a history of sexual abuse, on the basis of recovered or delayed recall of memory, process Rorschach stimuli in ways that substantially deviate from non-abused patients. They exhibited sensitivity to threat-relevant imagery that was highly similar to the biased perceptual processing found among patients with continuously held memories of sexual abuse. In the present study, perceptual processing of threat-relevant imagery was examined as an artifact of media exposure in 40 patients who recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse as adults and in 40 patients who were not sexually abused. The two patient samples were divided into high and low media groups on the basis of a composite measure of media exposure. The results indicated that information gained from media exposure was unrelated to patients' responses to Rorschach stimuli. Recovered memory patients produced threat-relevant imagery that is reminiscent of trauma irrespective of the level of media exposure; non-abused patients did not. That this imagery remained essentially unnoticed by even the most active consumers of the sexual abuse media among non-abused patients suggests that the popular media does not play a contagious role in the perceptual processing of threat-relevant imagery.     

Cue-Reactive Rationality,Visual Imagery and Volitional Control Predict Cue-Reactive Urge to Gamble in Poker-Machine Gamblers

Poker-machine gamblers have been demonstrated to report increases in the urge to gamble following exposure to salient gambling cues. However, the processes which contribute to this urge to gamble remain to be understood. The present study aimed to investigate whether changes in the conscious experience of visual imagery, rationality and volitional control (over one’s thoughts, images and attention) predicted changes in the urge to gamble following exposure to a gambling cue. Thirty-one regular poker-machine gamblers who reported at least low levels of problem gambling on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), were recruited to complete an online cue-reactivity experiment. Participants completed the PGSI, the visual imagery, rationality and volitional control subscales of the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI), and a visual analogue scale (VAS) assessing urge to gamble. Participants completed the PCI subscales and VAS at baseline, following a neutral video cue and following a gambling video cue. Urge to gamble was found to significantly increase from neutral cue to gambling cue (while controlling for baseline urge) and this increase was predicted by PGSI score. After accounting for the effects of problem-gambling severity, cue-reactive visual imagery, rationality and volitional control significantly improved the prediction of cue-reactive urge to gamble. The small sample size and limited participant characteristic data restricts the generalizability of the findings. Nevertheless, this is the first study to demonstrate that changes in the subjective experience of visual imagery, volitional control and rationality predict changes in the urge to gamble from neutral to gambling cue. The results suggest that visual imagery, rationality and volitional control may play an important role in the experience of the urge to gamble in poker-machine gamblers.     

The effects of target attractiveness on men's sexual arousal in response to erotic auditory stimuli

Previous research on sexual arousal resulting from auditory stimuli indicates that visual imagery acts as a mediator between stimulus input and resulting arousal. This leads to the question of whether imagery, and subsequent arousal, can be manipulated by providing differing information to hold in semantic memory. This research hypothesizes that attractive images held within semantic memory and pattern-matched with an erotic auditory stimulus facilitate higher self-reported arousal, and at a more rapid rate, than unattractive images. Participants in an "Unattractive" condition experienced slower rates and lower mean levels of arousal in response to an auditory stimulus, compared to participants in an "Attractive" or "No Picture" condition. No differences existed between groups in maximum arousal scores or the tendency to visualize the target during the listening task. Implications for the role of imagery in sexual response, possible measurement issues, and suggestions for future research are addressed in the discussion.     

The Effects of Target Attractiveness on Men's Sexual Arousal in Response to Erotic Auditory Stimuli

Previous research on sexual arousal resulting from auditory stimuli indicates that visual imagery acts as a mediator between stimulus input and resulting arousal. This leads to the question of whether imagery, and subsequent arousal, can be manipulated by providing differing information to hold in semantic memory. This research hypothesizes that attractive images, held within semantic memory and pattern matched with an erotic auditory stimulus, facilitate higher and more rapid self-reported arousal than do unattractive images. Participants in an unattractive condition experienced slower rates and lower mean levels of arousal in response to an auditory stimulus compared with participants in an attractive or no picture condition. No differences existed between groups in maximum arousal scores or the tendency to visualize the target during the listening task. Implications for the role of imagery in sexual response, possible measurement issues, and suggestions for future research are addressed in the discussion.     

Rural policy in the 1980s: the revival of the rural idyll

A popular explanation for the absence of poverty and deprivation from the rural policy agenda in the past has been the power of popular rural imagery in masking their existence. Despite a decade of academic and policy debate which has exposed some of the reality behind the images, this paper illustrates that not only do they still condition our approach to rural socio-economic problems but they are being reinforced in many aspects of current rural policy. The paper advances some explanations for this revival of rural imagery and examines some of its wider implications for the rural deprived.     

Are Psychology University Student Gamblers Representative of Non-university Students and General Gamblers? A Comparative Analysis

Students recruited from psychology undergraduate university populations are commonly used in psychology research, including gambling studies. However, the extent to which the use of this subpopulation produces findings that can be extrapolated to other groups is questionable. The present study was designed to compare results from university-recruited psychology student gamblers to those obtained from a sample of gamblers recruited from the general population that also included students. An online survey measuring gambling behavior and Internet gambling, attitudes and knowledge about gambling and problem gambling severity was posted on websites accessed by gamblers. Participants were recruited from two sources, a psychology undergraduate university population (n = 461) and online websites (n = 4,801). Results showed university-recruited students differed significantly from both adults and students recruited from the general population in respect to demographic variables and gambling behavior. Psychology undergraduate students were younger, more likely to be female, and had lower incomes. When relevant demographic variables were controlled, psychology undergraduate students were found to gamble less frequently, at different times, and to be at lower-risk for gambling-related problems, but had more irrational beliefs and more negative attitudes towards gambling than gamblers recruited from the general population. Results suggest that caution should be used in extrapolating findings from research using university-recruited psychology student gamblers to wide community populations due to differences related to gambling thoughts, attitudes and behaviors.     

Are relaxation techniques effective in relief of chronic pain?

Alternative therapies are becoming more popular in the United States despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting that they are effective treatments. Some alternative therapies used in the relief of chronic pain are relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and biofeedback. Overall, the existing research suggests that relaxation techniques are effective in reducing pain [6,8,21]. Research concerning guided imagery has also suggested that it is helpful in reducing pain [19,22,23]. Finally, most of the research concerning biofeedback and the reduction of pain in people with chronic pain has been positive [7,10,14,20]. Despite these findings, one can not conclude that relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and biofeedback are effective in reducing pain in individuals with chronic pain. There were many problems with most of the studies, including small sample sizes and unstated reliability and validity of assessments. These limitations lower the significance of the studies, which makes it impossible to draw conclusions from the research as a whole. More research needs to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and biofeedback concerning chronic pain. Information regarding the transference of these learned techniques to one's roles and daily activities should also be incorporated into the research by occupational therapists.     

In defence of psychology: a reply to Goodley and Lawthom (2005)

Goodley & Lawthom discussed the role of a community psychology approach in conducting emancipatory disability research. While their aims are entirely laudable, they portrayed mainstream psychology as 'pathologising, voyeuristic, individualising, [and] impairment-obsessed'. This paper presents a reply to Goodley and Lawthom's somewhat outdated arguments for the dismissal of mainstream psychology and argues that the focus on a single 'best' method of researching disability does not serve the best interests of disabled people within society. It is argued that to create a 'new' psychology distinct from the 'mainstream' is unnecessary, undesirable and counter-productive. Mainstream psychology has much to offer disabled people and to dismiss it is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.     

Perceptual deficits and self-esteem in adolescence

This paper attempts to conceptualize the dynamics of selfesteem in an adolescent suffering from a perceptual deficit. The interrelationship between the deficit and the development of self-esteem is discussed from two points of view, that of traditional ego psychology and that of the psychology of the self. In the case illustration given, the treatment methods were heavily influenced by the work of Heinz Kohut and by the insights provided by his psychology of the self.     

Integrating Family Therapy Training in a Clinical Psychology Course

Teaching family therapy to clinical psychology trainees is not common practice in Australian clinical psychology training programs. There is sparse discussion in the literature. Family therapy is an evidence based intervention that complements a diversity of established theories and psychotherapies and would complement the intervention skills of trainee clinical psychologists. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how family therapy training may be integrated into a postgraduate clinical psychology course. The literature on core family therapy knowledge, skills and training methods will form the backdrop to a review of specific family therapy training courses for clinical psychology trainees. This will then be mapped against a consideration of accreditation requirements of clinical psychology courses in Australia and suggestions made for integrating family therapy into their training curriculum. Anecdotal feedback from students provides an initial step toward evaluation.     

Sociological Social Psychology and Intersectionality: A Synergistic Relationship

Sociological social psychology developed out of interdisciplinary knowledge growth. Despite this positive progress, critics have argued that sociological social psychologists need to “step up their game”. In this paper, I review the three “faces” of sociological social psychology and propose a potential avenue to address this critique by incorporating ideas from intersectionality research into sociological social psychology's paradigms. To accomplish this integration, I also discuss the background and current debates of intersectionality research. Intersectionality scholarship originated in the gender studies area and has always been multidisciplinary. However, notions from intersectionality have not spread widely within the field of sociological social psychology. I propose a true synergy between sociological social psychology and intersectionality with the hope of advancing both fields.     

Latin American Productivity from 1990 to 1998 in the Mexican Journal of Psychology

Published uninterruptedly since 1984, the Mexican Journal of Psychology (MJP) has been recognized as one of the most important periodicals in Spanish-language psychology. After coping with financial impediments and a lack of scientific contributions, the significance of the MJP emerged. The journal remains vital in the development of Latin American psychology. It is today recognized as having the highest impact of all Latin American psychology journals as well as having the second highest impact of all psychology journals in the Spanish language. The goal of the present study was to review the profiles of the MJP from 1990 to 1998 by using a bibliometric classification procedure. Four indicators were employed in the present analysis of the articles including measurement techniques, methodology, field of psychology, and main results.     

教育心理学在学生教育教学工作中的应用

本文首先具体叙述了教师的角色定位，表明了教师研究教育心理学的重要性，将教育心理学具体理论应用于课堂教学不仅可以提高教学质量，而且可将心理学适当地应用于学生教育工作，从而起到提高学生工作效率的作用。本文就是从具体的现实状况出发，用教育心理学里面的具体理论适当地应用于学生教育工作所起的具体作用。另外，本文以西安小学生的学习及教育为主要研究对象。     

Mental Imagery and Production of Hand Gestures While Speaking in Younger and Older Adults

Speech and conversational hand gestures were recorded during interviews of 23 younger (M = 21 years) and 19 older adults (M = 70 years). Three kinds of questions were used in order to activate either visual images, motor images, or no mental image (abstract topics). On average, the rate of gesture production did not differ in younger and older adults, but it was significantly influenced by imagery conditions. Gesture production was higher in the motor than in the visual imagery condition, and lowest in the abstract condition. A significant interaction between age and imagery conditions influenced the proportion of representational gestures, which were relatively less frequent in older adults, especially in the visual imagery condition. Content analysis of verbal responses showed that imagery values did not differ in younger and older adults, but that concrete words were less frequent in responses to abstract questions than in the two other conditions. The implications of these results concerning the mechanisms of gesture production and the age-related changes in conversational behavior are discussed.     

Class Imagery and Subjective Social Location During Iceland’s Economic Crisis, 2008–2010

It has long been argued that perceptions of the class structure shape how individuals see their position in society. However, researchers using nationally representative data to study subjective social location rarely include class imagery in their models. This study uses OLS regression of two surveys, conducted 18 months apart following Iceland’s 2008 economic collapse, to analyze the effects of class imagery on subjective social location. Results show that respondents who perceive the class structure as inegalitarian report lower subjective social location as compared to those with egalitarian class imagery. The influence of objective class position on subjective social location depends, partly, on class imagery. The study finds that Icelanders saw the class structure become more egalitarian and their own subjective social location climb following the collapse, even as the economic crisis deepened between the two surveys. These findings reflect that income inequality in Iceland dropped sharply after the collapse.     

Men Not Included?

SUMMARY

This paper explores debates about male presence and influence in lesbian families from a critical psychology standpoint. Critical psychology encompasses a variety of radical approaches to psychological research that reject traditional psychological assumptions, concepts and methods and that seek to challenge and resist normative values. To explore aspects of the discursive terrain of male influence and to demonstrate the merits of a critical psychology of lesbian families, excerpts from an interview with a lesbian couple who are members of a planned lesbian/gay family (two mummies and a daddy) are analysed. These excerpts show that debates about male influence create live dilemmas and tensions for the lesbian couple and have important consequences for how lesbian parents negotiate and do family.     

THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND RISK PERCEPTION ON THE HURRICANE EVACUATION DECISION-MAKING OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS RESIDENTS

This article contributes to the current discussion on how residents living in vulnerable areas make the decision to evacuate when they are in harms way. Key in this discussion is the question, what role does information and risk play in shaping evacuation behavior? This study used a sample of respondents from the greater New Orleans region (Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard Parishes) of the Twelve Parish Survey (N = 1,207) conducted prior to Hurricane Katrina. The findings indicate that information sources are vitally important in the evacuation process. By examining the role of information from authorities, family, and friends; visual imagery; and the media we found that individuals use a variety of sources when they decide to evacuate. Further, the importance of visual imagery in the evacuation process is discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of information dissemination and its importance to members of the media and public policy makers.